Alternative Visions of American Constitutionalism: Popular Sovereignty and the Early American Constitutional Debate

Authors

Christian G. Fritz

Abstract

Scholars have argued that the enactment of our Constitution was the epitome of an American constitutional consensus. This Article, however, affirms that a vibrant debate about the Constitution continued long after its passage. By examining neglected original constitutional sources, this Article demonstrates that a dynamic tension existed throughout the nineteenth century about the meaning and implementation of "popular sovereignty," the principle underpinning our constitutional tradition.

Recommended Citation

Christian G. Fritz, Alternative Visions of American Constitutionalism: Popular Sovereignty and the Early American Constitutional Debate, 24 Hastings Const. L.Q. 287 (1997).
Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_constitutional_law_quaterly/vol24/iss2/2